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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351880">Salt Rim</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/diamondgore/pseuds/diamondgore'>diamondgore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Excalibur (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Awkward Conversations, Dawn of X- Spoliers, Gen, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:48:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/diamondgore/pseuds/diamondgore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rictor doesn't know how to use his words.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>En Sabah Nur &amp; Julio Richter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Salt Rim</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A request from my fellow podcast buddy <a href="https://twitter.com/ChangoATX">ChangoATX. </a></p><p>The prompt was "Rictor and Apocalypse walk into a bar"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     </p><p> </p><p>            The Lagoon was a foreign place for Rictor. Everyone there was so close and comfortable like the lived within their own niches, and he felt like he didn’t know anyone.</p><p> </p><p>            Tabby was there, but she was draped over Pixie and Hisako, telling them stories of her old X-Force days, and Rahne was flirting with Maria. He couldn’t tell where Jimmy was nowhere to be found. And Shatterstar…well…Rictor wasn’t even sure that he counted as a mutant on here. It was pathetic that there was no place on him at a party. It felt like there was no place for him in these conversations.</p><p> </p><p>            There was one person he could hold a conversation at this party, but it was definitely not someone most people would like to be stuck with unless it was the literal end of times.</p><p>           </p><p>            Apocalypse wasn’t someone he would call his friend, but they were on friendly terms. He didn’t understand why most people avoided him and left him sitting alone on his own seat. He heard whispers from more frequent patrons that Apocalypse didn’t drink, or at least during most of his visits he only had a glass of merlot when making conversation, or a dessert wine if he was found with Magneto or Xavier.</p><p> </p><p>            Most of the time he sat alone. Looking around, his crimson eyes seemed lonely. Rictor ordered a tequila and headed towards Apocalypse. Apocalypse’s table had his name carved into it, and it took Rictor a moment before he was confident enough to sit at the table, right in front of Apocalypse. He’d hoped that it wasn’t offensive to not ask for a seat, but Apocalypse had no intention of showing any emotion.</p><p> </p><p>            There was no smile or nod, or even a hello. Maybe he’d fallen asleep?</p><p> </p><p>            The lack of response was unsettling, but it wasn’t surprising. There was always an emotional distance between Apocalypse and everyone around him like he did not want to be known for anything more than his…advocation for the mutant community.</p><p> </p><p>            “Hey,” Rictor finally washed down that lump in the back of his throat with a sip of his tequila. It was refreshing to have a drink in a positive setting, around people he got along with. “Why are you sitting alone?”</p><p> </p><p>            Apocalypse shifted his gaze towards Rictor. His eyes would always be terrifying, as they demanded you give them all the attention you could. “Why are you sitting with me?” He wasn’t annoyed or malicious but curious.</p><p> </p><p>            “…” Rictor didn’t want to look desperate in front of Apocalypse. His only reason as to why was very pathetic, and saying it out loud was very embarrassing. His expression is still neutral, but there was a smile tugging at the edge of his lips.  “You know, you seemed lonely.”</p><p> </p><p>            A smile began to appear on Apocalypse’s face. An actual honest to God smile spread across his face. It was something Rictor hadn’t even heard of before, let alone seen. It was ugly, filled with Apocalypse’s impressive, impossible, and ungodly teeth, but it was honest. Seeing it was like completing an impossible task. It was a confirmation that he enjoyed Rictor wasn’t annoying him.</p><p> </p><p>            “I never took you for an empath.” He began, before taking a sip from his drink, probably cold coffee from the clear cup it was served in, “You gave an impression that you were much more removed from your feelings.”</p><p> </p><p>            It wasn’t a compliment, but it wasn’t an insult. There was no backhandedness in the words he was saying. Rictor somehow felt more comfortable knowing how weirdly levelheaded Apocalypse could be when he wasn’t plotting something. He relaxed his shoulders, leaning onto the table with his elbow now.</p><p> </p><p>            “I’m not.” He drank a little bit more. “I was just making an assumption based on your…vibes?”</p><p> </p><p>            It wasn’t the word he was looking for, but he hoped that Apocalypse would get it. He must have heard the kids around the island speak in slang, if not directly, he might have absorbed it through osmosis from other people.  </p><p> </p><p>            “I’m not sure I understand what you are saying.” This was a pathetic attempt of bonding with a well-known maniac, but it wouldn’t stop Rictor from pushing further. He had all the time in the world until the rest of his team came back from their mission.</p><p> </p><p>            “Like…Your aura. You just give off the aura of someone who could use some company tonight.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “You know you always sit alone in this place. I don’t think it needs a genius to figure it out.”</p><p> </p><p>            That smile that Apocalypse had didn’t fade from his face. “So, you are an empath.”</p><p> </p><p>            Rictor let out a laugh out of surprise. He couldn’t tell if Apocalypse was being vapid on purpose to throw him off, or if he was doing it for his own entertainment.</p><p> </p><p>             “If you want to keep calling me that, sure. But I think the terminology you’re using a lot more outdated than you think. It doesn’t have the same meaning these days, or in this context.” He gestured to the rest of the lagoon, which was filled with actual telepaths and empaths.</p><p> </p><p>            Apocalypse shrugged. “It is hard to keep with the evolution of language, especially those I do not care about.” He let out a heavy breath before looking down at his coffee mug.</p><p> </p><p>            Rictor waited for a response, to this now possibly dead conversation. He could poke Apocalypse for more of his evil schemes, but he was passed those things now. Probably. He got what he wanted now, Rictor supposed.</p><p> </p><p>            “What are you drinking?” Still unfamiliar with this part of their relationship. “Looks good?”</p><p> </p><p>            “Prune juice,” Apocalypse responded dryly. “Language is not the only thing that I use that is outdated.”  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm on tumblr @<a href="https://diamondgore.tumblr.com/">diamondgore</a> &amp; on twitter @<a href="https://twitter.com/unworthingtons">unworthingtons</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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